October 28, 2007

This is from the Central New York edition of Time Warner's 24-hour-news cable franchises, regarding the extension of Daylight Savings Time another week.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 which was designed to
cut down on energy use caused daylight saving time to begin three weeks
earlier this year in March. It was also extended an extra week in the
fall, meaning it won't end until November fourth.

The act
was seen a benefit to farmers, giving them a few extra hours of
sunlight, meaning more time for harvesting. The change will also
provide extra safety for trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

Oh that's rich all right. The candy multinationals have been trying to get Daylight Savings extended past Halloween for years. Apparently kids aren't Trick-or-Treating enough in the dark and it was cutting into the companies rightful profits. And cutting down on energy use? I have a question for the ex-Congressman (who shoved this bill through) turned UMass prez from Massachusetts Marty Meehan: HEY LAMEBRAIN, IT'S DARK NOW WHEN I GET UP TO GO TO WORK. IS THE POWER I'M USING EARLY IN THE MORNING ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE POWER I WOULD BE USING IN THE EVENING, YOU KNOW IF IT WERE DARK THEN INSTEAD OF IN THE MORNING?

October 26, 2007

This week, Ann Morrow reviews Rendition, while I review Lust, Caution and Things We Lost in the Fire. Read it here.

The New York State Writers Institute of the University at Albany is screening one of the best films of the 1970s at Page Hall tonight (at 7:30 PM), Victor Erice's Spirit of the Beehive. Set, like Pan's Labyrinth, at the end of the Spanish Civil War, Spirit also has children at the center of the story, and a fantastical element: the girls' fascination with the movie Frankenstein, and Boris Karloff's monster. Don't miss it.

We published our Halloween issue yesterday, with three "fun" stories. Chet Hardin communed with the spirits. David King searched for local hellmouths, including a suspected stadium site in Troy:

Legend has it that Joltin’ Joe Bruno went down to the crossroads and sold his soul to be a famous boxer, but he signed the devil’s contract without reading the fine print. Instead of the life of a famous pugilist, the dark one traded Bruno a life as a political party boss and tough-guy state senator. Joe has never since forgotten to read the fine print.

And, finally, I e-mailed a bunch of people at the last minute about Halloween costumes when story plans "a" and "b" fell through. (Special thanks to Susan Y.)

October 19, 2007

This week's cinema reviews are here. Ann Morrow reviewed Elizabeth: The Golden Age; Laura Leon, Michael Clayton, and I, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Ann found this Elizabeth wanting in comparison to Cate Blanchett's first go-round as the virgin queen, aptly describing it as a "mere costume drama, albeit an impressively decked-out one."

Laura deems Michael Clayton, the legal thriller directed by Tony Gilroy, "intelligent, audacious and never lacking for surprises, sucking you in and keeping its grip on you long after the final credits have run." While she praises all the performances, including George Clooney and Tom Wlikinson, she singles out Tilda Swinton (left, with Clooney) for her turn as a soulless, yet oddly poignant, corporate lawyer.

As for the flick with the Fall's most cumbersome title, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford--sorry, I just like typing that out--it's a terrific film. (Well, it's a sure bet for my year-end top ten list, for whatever that's worth.) I'm not really sure what's up, but it's down to one theater (Regal Crossgates Stadium 18, Guilderland) and one screening per day (9 PM) this week. So if your curious, you better see it this week.